Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
The Pittsburgh Penguins have been busy this summer, though they haven’t done a ton of adding to their roster. Their primary concern has been locking up their current core, and they’ve managed to do just that. Their only significant addition this summer was free agent defenseman Rob Scuderi.
Scuderi returns to Pittsburgh after a very successful stint in Hollywood that saw him take home a Stanley Cup title. Having taken home the Cup in his last tenure with the Penguins, Pittsburgh re-signed him in hopes of the veteran being a final piece.
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One thing is for sure, and that’s the fact that the addition of Scuderi to the mix will prove to be a tremendous benefit for Kris Letang. Despite the fact that he was a Norris Trophy finalist, there’s little argument against the fact that he isn’t very strong defensively.
In fact, his defensive ability may make him one of the more overrated defensemen in the league. He struggles in his own end quite a bit. Of course, he more than makes up for that on the offensive side of things, where he is one of the highest scoring blue liners on the planet.
That is where the addition of Scuderi will prove extremely beneficial to the Penguins. Scuderi brings that veteran know-how to the blue line. He’s an outstanding defender in his own end, and capable of logging heavy minutes back on defense. He’s a perfect contract to add next to Letang, given his defensive-oriented style.
Bringing Scuderi back into the mix was, no doubt, at least partially motivated by the defensive struggles of Letang. But with Scuderi now residing in Pittsburgh again, some of the pressure is off of Letang in his own end, leaving him to focus on his offensive game that is so strong.
